The Korea Times

Nongshim opens Shin Ramyun pop-up store in Seoul

People walk pass Nongshim's Shin Ramyun Cafeteria pop-up in Seoul, on Monday. Courtesy of NongshimBy Kim Jae-heunThe country's largest instant noodle maker Nongshim opened the Shin Ramyun Cafeteria pop-up in Seoul on Monday, riding on the popularity of its metaverse version that gathered 40,000 visitors online.“After Shin Ramyun Zepeto Cup Noodle gained so much love, we decided to run a pop-up store in the real world to provide a unique experience to consumers,” a Nongshim official said. Last October, the food firm opened a cafeteria on the local metaverse platform Zepeto and introduced its limited-edition Shin Ramyun Zepeto Cup Noodle, which has a piquancy of 6,000 Scoville heat units. The product was made by reflecting consumers' combined opinions on their favorite recipes for Shin Ramyun, Nongshim's all-time bestselling instant noodle brand. At Nongshim's pop-up, visitors can select the noodle type, spice level and amount of of dried meat grounds and vegetable flakes to add. They can also try the food on the spot. There are also photo zones and an exhibition venue wher

Jan 9, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Nongshim opens Shin Ramyun pop-up store in Seoul

Companies

CheongKwanJang tops global ginseng market for 10 straight years

CheongKwanJang's brand promotional poster / Courtesy of KGC By Kim Jae-heunKorea Ginseng Corporation's (KGC) representative red ginseng brand CheongKwanJang topped the global ginseng retail market sales, according to Euromonitor International. The market research firm's 2022 report showed the size of the global ginseng market reached $2.47 billion (3.12 trillion won) last year. CheongKwanJang took a 41.9 percent global market share with its sales of about $1.03 billion to become the No. 1 brand. However, the report only studied processed ginseng products such as those made from concentrated extract or ginseng roots sold at retail stores and it excluded sales of fresh ginseng or wholesales records. CheongKwanJang, which topped the list in 2013 with $731 million in revenue, has achieved sales growth of about 42 percent from a decade ago, winning the honor becoming the No.1 brand in the world for 10 consecutive years. “We were able to once again confirm the status of K

Jan 7, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

CheongKwanJang tops global ginseng market for 10 straight years

North Korea

Asan Institute's honorary chairman meets with Henry Kissinger

Asan Institute for Policy Studies Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-joon poses with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at a restaurant in New York, Thursday. Courtesy of Asan Institute for Policy StudiesBy Kim Jae-heunAsan Institute for Policy Studies Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-joon met with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in New York, Thursday, exchanging views on issues on the Korean Peninsula and around the world.Kissinger said that South Korea and the United States must deal with the North Korean nuclear problem through solid cooperation. He also mentioned that the denuclearization of North Korea is necessary not only for Northeast Asia but also for China. Chung requested Kissinger to maintain his focus on the security situation of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. The former U.S secretary of state, who was a graduate student at Harvard University, visited Korea in 1950 during the Korean War, and analyzed the process of the war's inception. He submitted a memo titled “U.S. Strategy” to William Elliot, political adviser to the president,

Jan 6, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Asan Institute's honorary chairman meets with Henry Kissinger

Companies

Nongshim to launch cup noodle 3 times spicier than Shin Ramyun

Virtual models hold Nongshim's Shin Ramyun products at the company's metaverse store on Zepeto. Courtesy of NongshimBy Kim Jae-heunNongshim is introducing its new Shin Ramyun Zepeto Cup Noodle on the local metaverse platform Zepeto to reflect consumers' combined opinions on their favorite recipe, the country's top instant noodle maker said Thursday. The new product offers abundant bits of meat and vegetables and is three times spicier than the original Shin Ramyun, which is Nongshim's all-time bestseller. It will be sold at large retail stores across the country and online malls starting Jan. 9.Shin Ramyun Zepeto Cup Noodle has a pungency of 6,000 Scoville heat units. The product also includes 4.9 grams of solid ingredient powder, nearly double Shin Ramyun's 2.5 grams of powder. The company explains the spicy product can be heated in a microwave to make the noodles chewier. “We have created a Nongshim store in a metaverse world to increase connections with our customers in their teens and 20s, who enjoy cup noodles on a daily basis and value new experiences, and planned a consu

Jan 6, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Nongshim to launch cup noodle 3 times spicier than Shin Ramyun

Companies

McDonald's Korea vows to improve customer experience further in 2023

McDonald's Korea CEO Kim Ki-won, center, pose with staff at the headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday, after giving a New Year's address. Courtesy of McDonald's KoreaBy Kim Jae-heunMcDonald's Korea held an in-house event to wish everyone a healthy and happy new year at its headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday. McDonald's Korea CEO Kim Ki-won vowed to continue her efforts to provide the best “Feel Good Moment” to customers along with her staff, partner firms and franchisees. Kim also had time to express her intentions for a strong start to 2023 with executives and staff members.“This year is the year of the black rabbit, which symbolizes wisdom and leaps. I hope our McDonald's Korea employees take a leap one step higher both with their work and in life,” Kim said during her New Year's address. “This year, we will further solidify our position as a market leader and fulfill our social responsibility. We also plan to focus on the growth engine of brand trust and delicious menus while pushing for both tangible and intangible investment in employees more aggressively,

Jan 5, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

McDonald's Korea vows to improve customer experience further in 2023

Companies

Consumers criticize BBQ for raising workers' wages

Genesis BBQ Chairman Yoon Hong-geun gives a speech during the company's 25th anniversary, at one of the company's buildings in Seoul, Sept. 1, 2020. Courtesy of Genesis BBQ By Kim Jae-heunSome customers are expressing reservations about Genesis BBQ's recent announcement it would increase the salaries of new employees this year by 33.5 percent, urging the fried chicken franchise instead to lower prices. “The company raised menu prices, saying it was due to increased raw material costs, and now it is raising its workers' wages. Let's be honest, it is making suckers out of customers and franchisees,” an internet user said online. Another online poster also accused BBQ of “extorting” money from its customers.“It is making profits from customers and restaurant owners and sharing them with employees at the headquarters. Fried chicken is no longer a food for ordinary people,” the netizen said. BBQ has come under criticism for raising its prices last May, breaking a promise

Jan 5, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Consumers criticize BBQ for raising workers' wages

Companies

SPC vows to put safety first, regain public trust

Head of the Franchisee Association of Paris Baguette Jang In-moon, left, poses with CEO of Paris Croissant Lee Myeong-wook, center, and Chief of Deputy Head of Paris Croissant Union Song Young-soo, while declaring the company's safety management charter at the SPC headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of SPCBy Kim Jae-heunSPC promised Wednesday to practice workplace safety management with the firm will to adopt changes and share a concrete vision in connection with a fatal accident that occurred due to negligence at its affiliate production facility in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, last October. After the accident, the company immediately reflected the results of safety inspections conducted by an external professional institution and the Ministry of Employment and Labor while launching a safety management committee composed of independent experts. It has also been laying the foundation for the company's safety management by establishing special task forces to improve the working environment and innovating corporate culture there, last year. “Starting with our declaration

Jan 4, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

SPC vows to put safety first, regain public trust

Companies

Korea's internet speed ranking falls to 34th: report

Internet traffic speed is graphically displayed against an image of a computer user / GettyimagebanksBy Kim Jae-heunKorea's competitiveness in high-speed internet infrastructure, which used to be rated as one of the world's fastest just a few years ago, was found to have fallen to 34th, according to recent data, Tuesday.Ookla's internet speed measuring site “Speedtest” said its data showed Korea's average high-speed internet downloading speed was recorded at 171.12 Megabits per second (Mbps) as of November, last year, thereby placing the country 34th in the world.The country's standing has continuously dropped from 2nd place in 2019 to 4th in 2020 and 7th in 2021. Last year, the country's ranking declined rapidly over the last few months. The National Information Society Agency's report in August 2022 also showed Korea's high-speed internet speed marked 210.72 Mbps then, ranking 19th in the world. Monaco had the fastest high-speed internet download speed of 320.08 Mbps as of last November, followed by Singapore with 295.78 Mbps.Monaco and Singapore are city-states with sm

Jan 4, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Korea's internet speed ranking falls to 34th: report

Companies

Yogiyo launches quick commerce service with GS Retail

A customer gives a thumbs up to Yogiyo's new quick commerce service, Yo-Convenience Store, at a GS25 store in Seoul, Jan. 2. Courtesy of GS RetailBy Kim Jae-heunLocal online food delivery player Yogiyo launched a quick commerce service called “Yo-Convenience Store” in collaboration with GS Retail, the company said Tuesday.With the new delivery service, a customer can receive any item sold at GS25, GS Retail's convenience store brand, anywhere in the country within one hour. “With the launch of Yo-Mart followed by Yo-Convenience Store ― which are quick commerce services that maximizes the core capabilities of both Yogiyo and GS Retail, we are able to provide customers with differentiated experiences in food delivery orders. We will continue to do our best to help our customers experience convenient delivery services with Yogiyo based on our nationwide quick commerce infrastructure,” a Yogiyo official said. In particular, Yogiyo has strengthened its customer-centered user interface and user experience to significantly improve convenience and benefits through its

Jan 3, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Yogiyo launches quick commerce service with GS Retail

Companies

E-commerce firms enter new businesses to ride out economic downturn

Digital comic service on an online food delivery platform Baedal Minjok / Courtesy of Woowa BrothersBy Kim Jae-heunLocal e-commerce firms such as Woowa Brothers, Kurly and Daangn Market are offering new products and services to secure new revenue streams amid the deepening economic downturn, according to company officials Monday.Woowa Brothers, operator of the country's largest food delivery app Baedal Minjok (Baemin), recently launched a digital comic service on Baemin's platform. Customers can view webtoons for free without having to register as a member for the food delivery service. Last year, Woowa Brothers also opened Baemin Store to sell various items including beauty products and flowers on the Baemin platform. All these efforts are part of Woowa Brothers' ultimate goal to make Baemin a general e-commerce platform like Coupang or even KakaoTalk.Online grocery platform Market Kurly also rebranded its service by changing its name to just Kurly and started to diversify its business into the cosmetics and travel sectors. Before, it focused mainly on selling foods ― particularly o

Jan 2, 2023By Kim Jae-heun

Kim Jae-heun

Read more

Nongshim opens Shin Ramyun pop-up store in Seoul

CheongKwanJang tops global ginseng market for 10 straight years

Asan Institute's honorary chairman meets with Henry Kissinger

Nongshim to launch cup noodle 3 times spicier than Shin Ramyun

McDonald's Korea vows to improve customer experience further in 2023

Consumers criticize BBQ for raising workers' wages

SPC vows to put safety first, regain public trust

Korea's internet speed ranking falls to 34th: report

Yogiyo launches quick commerce service with GS Retail

E-commerce firms enter new businesses to ride out economic downturn

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